


Twins, Eight Years Old

by AraniWrites



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Alec has PTSD, Alec is a good father, Alec is the Pathfinder, Alternate Universe, Kid Fic, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scott and Sara are children, alec is a loving father, ptsd mention, sara has biotics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-27
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23350402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AraniWrites/pseuds/AraniWrites
Summary: An assortment of ficlets revolving around my ME:A AU-verse, created mostly through prompts.In this AU, Alec is the Pathfinder, and Scott and Sara were brought to Andromeda as children; both of them are eight years old, and the family must navigate Andromeda despite the challenges presented to them.
Comments: 15
Kudos: 37





	1. Alec and his children

When Alec got a stunned call from Dr. Harry Carlyle, his entire world came to a screeching halt.

They had only just arrived at the Nexus; broken, nearly leaderless, hope fading. Alec saw it in the eyes of every worker they passed, they had long since lost their hope of survival. Alec knew he needed to change that.

He’d only just finished speaking with Director Tann, and tried to find a moment to mourn his friend Jien. She was such a good woman, kind and smart, he would miss their intellectual debates. He’d started to catalog their day, a private moment to himself, when the message came through his Tool.

_“Alec?”_

Alec had never heard Harry sound so stunned, not even on Habitat 7. It was an immediate cause for alarm, his shoulders tensing, his jaw stiff.

“What’s wrong, Harry? Something with the crew?”

 _“No, actually…”_ Harry hesitated, another first. _“It’s about your kids.”_

Alec’s world stopped. He could hear the blood rushing in his ears; his kids. The Scourge, their collision; what had happened to his kids? In all the chaos of a Hyperion on fire, he’d hadn’t had the chance to even check.

Harry took his silence as license to continue, _“When we hit the Scourge, their pods were damaged alongside a few other colonists. We were forced to pull them out of stasis, and we can’t put them back under. They’re just too young.”_

“Are they injured?”

_“A couple scrapes and bruises. Our only current concern is a slight case of stasis-sickness. Their revival was so sudden they’re both a little… lets say sedated. They haven’t processed much, but the fact that you’re not here is scaring them. So far we’ve managed to get them both to respond to outside stimuli, which is a good sign, but they’re still fairly immobile.”_

“I’m coming right now.” Alec was already putting away his datapad, taking long strides towards the trams.

_“Okay. I’ll see if they’re awake.”_

Alec stood in the tram as his mind raced. Not good, not good, not good. What was he supposed to do? The kids were supposed to remain in stasis until things settled, until he could care for them! This was bad. What could he possibly do for them with a Nexus in shambles? How could he leave them for long missions, how could he be there?

He wasn’t sure he could be.

Alec was off the tram the moment it stopped, marching his way through the halls. People got out of his way, their respect for him thankfully still intact. Finally he reached their operating med bay, and there they were; his children laid out on two beds, with Harry taking their blood pressure and watching their vitals.

Harry stepped away when Alec walked in, giving him his report. “Their stasis-sickness is a bit worse than I thought, but not threatening. I just need to keep them sedated and in bed for a few days.”

“A few days?” Alec shook his head, “Harry, I need to leave for Eos immediately. The Nexus failed all colonization efforts, I need to scout it out.”

“I understand,” Harry was as sympathetic as he’d ever seen, “but I need to keep them here. You can go to Eos, they’ll be asleep the majority of the time regardless. I wont leave their side.”

“But— you’re supposed to be with us on the Tempest.”

“Yeah, I thought about that.” Harry laughed lightly, “I’ve got two decades on you, my friend. I’m getting too old for this. I’ve asked Dr. Lexi T’Perro to take my place on the Tempest. She’s the best of the best, and I mean that sincerely. She’ll serve you well.”

Alec sighed, relenting to a battle he’d lost on the first word, “Alright. We’ll miss you out there.”

“Not as much as the Hyperion will miss you.” Harry turned and motioned to his kids, “Go talk to them.”

Harry left Alec to his own devices. He moved between his kid’s beds, scanning for any visible injuries. He only saw a few band-aids in bright colors, nothing serious as Harry has told him. Sara was sleeping soundly, deep breaths in and out in her usual steady rhythm. Scott was stirring in his bed, so Alec sat down at the edge and touched his forehead. He was running a slight fever, and he assumed Sara was as well.

Scott opened his eyes and blinked a few times, focusing in on Alec’s face. Something in his eyes brightened, ever so slightly. “Hi daddy.”

Alec smiled for his son, “Hey buddy.”

“My head hurts.”

“I know, son. I know.” Alec leaned over and lifted Scott out of his bed, pulling him onto his lap. Scott wrapped his arms around Alec’s neck, his head resting on Alec’s shoulder. “It’ll go away soon.”

“I heard you say you were leaving.”

Alec hesitated a moment, rubbing his back slowly up and down, trying to comfort the boy. “Yes. Just for a few days. Things aren’t… as good as I thought they would be, so I’m going to go help some of our colonists, then I’ll be back.”

“Sara will be sad if you go.”

Alec sighed lightly, “I know.”

“I don’t wanna stay here alone.” He sniffled once, and Alec’s heart broke a little more. There may be a wall there, a place that hid his heart and soul from the world, but his children never knew such a wall. He laid his love and soul to them, as any father should. The cracks only sealed by the love for his children.

“You won’t be alone. Sara’s here, and Harry will be here. You like Harry, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“It’s only for a few days. After that you can— you can be on the ship with me. I won’t leave you here.”

Scott sniffled again, closing his eyes. “Pinky-promise?”

“Pinky-promise.”

The words seemed to be enough for Scott. Alec listened for a minute as his breaths evened out, continuing to rub his back in his best attempt to be comforting. Soon Scott’s muscles relaxed as he fell into a light sleep. After a moment Sara stirred in her bed, so Alec lifted Scott with him and moved to Sara’s bedside. She hadn’t woken up, simply mumbled something about chickens, the brain of a child ever so complex. Alec reached over to stroke back her hair. They always looked so much younger as they slept.

What was he to do? They couldn’t stay on the Hyperion or the Nexus, not without their father. Alec knew his duty, knew he had a responsibility to the Initiative, one he couldn’t afford to give away. However his heart screamed another duty, the duty to his children. It was a duty he had no choice but to uphold. He’d never live with himself otherwise.

The Tempest would be safe for them. Right?

Right?

—

Those few nights on the Tempest were a few nights too long.

He found the crew competent, of course. Vetra, Kallo, Suvi, Gil, Lexi, Liam and Cora; all extremely hard-working and a pleasure to work with. Some a little skittish, perhaps, but most people were upon first meeting Alec Ryder, the Ryder they’d surely heard all kinds of exaggerated stories about— stories he, of course, never tried to dissuade or disprove. He simply went about his duty, leaving them to become comfortable with him on their own time.

By day, he worked with SAM to uncover Eos’ bizarre secrets. By night, he laid awake in his quarters on the Tempest— too large, too quiet. He’d gotten too used to his kids waking him up at least twice a night each, needing one thing or another, afraid of the dark hallways and the boogyman under the bed. Alec never would have imagined that he’d miss the sleep-deprivation, but his mind still wandered to the Hyperion regardless. He had SAM give him hourly updates on the twin’s conditions, despite Cora’s quiet remark of him obsessing over an outcome that wasn’t going to happen. They’d be fine, he knew that, but it was a father’s duty to worry.

Finally, after retrieving all of Eos’ glyphs to decode, he had Kallo fly them back to the Hyperion. The two were awake and fully functional when he arrived— albeit a little peeved he’d left at all— and with a clean bill of health from Harry he grabbed their luggage and took them back to the waiting Tempest, immediately calling everyone up to the meeting room for a chat.

“Thanks for coming up here, everyone.”

Alec could tell the crew wasn’t fully listening. Their faces said it all; shock, concern, confusion, utter disbelief as they stared at his two children. He couldn’t blame them— this was just as shocking to him as it was to them, and it would certainly take time to get used to.

“These are my two children, Scott and Sara. They’re twins, eight years old.”

Scott and Sara stood to either side of him. Scott, the taller of the two, had almost grown to reach his waist. Sara was a little behind, only reaching his hip, but Alec figured the energy was being put into her snark instead of her growth.

Scott, the more timid and placid child, hid himself partially behind Alec. Alec kept his arm suspended over his head, hand on his shoulder, giving the boy as much comfort as he could provide. He watched the crew nervously, not daring to leave the safety of Alec’s space, unsure of how to react to them. Sara, however, was nothing short of feisty; fearless and adventurous, she stood proudly in front of the group looking them square in the eye. Alec’s N7 ball-cap looked much bigger on her little head, but she wore it backwards to keep the hair out of her eyes until Alec could help them unpack their things. Of course, hair ties were not high on his list of essentials to keep on hand— they would soon become a necessity.

“I know this is sudden, seeing as we’ve only just begun our mission, but unfortunately this situation can’t be avoided.” He pulled Sara in to hug her alongside Scott, “Their pods were damaged when the Hyperion hit the Scourge. Their mother is no longer with us, so along with being Pathfinder I need to care for them. They’ll be staying here with us, unless it becomes too dangerous for them.”

“That’s— concerning.” Cora muttered. She knew the twins, of course, but she didn’t really know them. She’d certainly never thought she would; she’d assumed they would stay in the care of a nanny on the Hyperion, not aboard a highly advanced star ship with her on board.

“I know, but sometimes unpredictable things happen. They wont cause trouble.” He smiled to his kids, giving them a playful shake. “You two will behave, right? You’ll be respectful?”

“Yes.”

“And you won’t touch any buttons without asking first, right?”

Scott, ever the pacifist, nodded immediately, shying away from the stares of the crew. Alec looked to Sara and saw that mischievous smile spread across her face, “Maaaybe~”

“Sara, you wont touch any buttons. It’s dangerous.”

“I will ask first.”

“Good enough.” He turned his attention back to his still startled crew, “Sorry about this. I hope you can all understand.”

It seemed as though they were all stunned into silence. It wasn’t until Liam moved that the rest of them began to find their bearings. He stepped forward and crouched down, giving the twins a warm smile.

“Say, you two like video games?” He asked.

Sara grinned wide, “Scott does!” 

“I brought some. Want to help me set them up?”

“Yes!” Sara ran around Alec and grabbed Scott’s arm, pulling him out from Alec’s sphere, “Come on, lets go play!” Scott seemed almost bewildered, but followed Liam and Sara all the same, disappearing down the ramp.

“I— I can lock down most consoles.” Kallo spoke up, making sure the twins were no longer in earshot. “They wont react to the twin’s fingerprints, if that would put your mind at ease.”

Alec had a strange glint to his eyes— surprise, perhaps? “Are there any consoles they’d need access to?”

“Besides the galley, the lift and the bathroom?”

“I see your point.” Alec smiled, “I would appreciate that. Thank you.”

“Are you sure about this, Alec?” Cora asked him, making no effort to hide her worry. “This isn’t going to be very safe. Or easy, much less with two young children around. We’ll probably face a lot of Kett and dangerous planetary conditions.”

“I don’t have much choice. A parent has to make sacrifices for his kids. I’m sure this ship is safe enough for them, and if they’re bothering you just send them my way, I’ll take care of it. Besides, SAM’s always keeping an eye on those two, he won’t let them go out into a radiation storm.”

“Okay…”

“Daddy!” Sara seemed to materialize at the bottom of the ramp again, “Come play with us!”

Alec gave the group a smirk, as if he’d been expecting the intrusion. “Daddy has work to do.” He told her as he made his way down the ramp.

“But you worked a whole ten minutes.” Sara pouted as he stopped and pat her head.

“I have to work longer than ten minutes.”

“One game? Please?”

Alec paused a moment as Sara gave him a pleading look. He then laughed and nudged her toward the door; a father’s duty, never ending, never boring. “Fine. One game, then I have to get back to work.”

“Video games are work!” Sara insisted as they left for the cargo bay.

“Only for you, firecracker.”

—

The crew agreed within the week than Alec no longer ran the ship. The true Directors of the Tempest crew were Scott and Sara— the former as Mastermind, the latter as Executor.

They had a grand time learning about every inch of the ship, and the crew along with it. They excitedly learned of every nook and cranny, every corner to hide in, every button they were allowed to press. It wasn’t long until they found the snack drawer, and though it was locked they tried increasingly elaborate schemes to win their chocolate prizes. Alec wasn’t particularly disturbed by their boisterous play and boundless energy, but he did his best to give them tasks to complete to spare the rest of the crew such exhaustion. He would soon find it unnecessary, however— the twins were growing on them all faster than they could blink, and their energy and curiosity gave them all boosts in their own day to day tasks.

Vetra was the first to truly warm to the twins. They remind her of her own little sister, one still stuck on the Nexus. She made it a priority to help Alec provide for them, be it clothing or toys or snacks. They find Vetra to be a calming presence, and have more than once fallen asleep near her desk while she worked. Vetra seems to get them on a level the others lack— one of an older sister, one of family.

Liam was their favorite to play with. He had all kinds of games to play with them, and in between his duties he was almost always giving them something exciting to do. They have a running series of Mario Party 68 with Gil jumping in as player four— Scott is up by two games, but he’s sure Liam lets them win.

Kallo tries to ignore the twins, at first. It’s not his call, after all, to have them on board. Not that he particularly minds, but he reasons Liam has their attention captured well enough without him jumping into the mix. It’s not until Alec is away that he actually has a conversation with the twins, and finds them to be surprisingly well spoken. Scott, in particular, is calculated and steady, and combined the two have no shortage of questions about the radiation storm that raged outside the Tempest’s front window. Sara asks him questions about the Tempest at a million miles an hour, and Kallo finds himself enjoying their energy far more than he ever expected.

Suvi and Gil seem to have similar roles in the twin’s day to day activities. Suvi is positively giddy to answer every question they could possibly ask about the Heleus Cluster, to the best of her knowledge. She shows them charts and maps and pictures and live samples, and laughs as the twins name their new discoveries with the most appropriate names she could possibly imagine— her favorites are “The Blue Egg” and “The Shiny Stick”. Gil lets them assist all his safe projects around the Tempest. He teaches them about his Tools, and lets them handle the smaller equipment from time to time. He works on the Nomad as the twins pretend to drive it, and plays along as they pretend to do their father’s field work.

Cora has yet to truly interact with the twins at all. She prefers to keep her distance, watchful but silent, unsure of exactly what to do or say around them. She resolves to keeping quiet, and waits for some new idea to perhaps manifest in her lap— she doesn’t know what exactly that could look like.


	2. Meet Lexi, Peebee, Drack and Jaal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins meet Lexi, Peebee, Drack and Jaal.
> 
> This chapter has mentions of Alec's PTSD.

Lexi, like any good doctor, had a sacred duty of care to all patients who came to see her. But all that training didn’t fully prepare her for the moment Dr. Harry Carlyle asked her to step aboard the Tempest, Alec Ryder’s ship, as their medic. Furthermore, it did nothing to prepare her for the moment she learned that she would not only be caring for the Pathfinder team, but for two young children as well.

Not that she wasn’t experienced with children. She had simply… focused on other aspects of her career.

But that had no meaning any longer. The Pathfinder team was under her care now, and that included it’s two honorary members, Alec’s twin children, who were currently sitting on one of the medical beds undergoing their first evaluation.

Alec ran her through a quick list of their allergies and sensitivities, and specifically noted that Sara would absolutely refuse to have lights shone directly into her eyes, and Scott absolutely hated to have his blood pressure taken. During their evaluation the children behaved well, despite poking and prodding at one another every now and then when their attention had been lost. Lexi did her best to keep them focused on her, and let them ramble about their own topics to distract them as she gave them their shots and checked for any remaining traces of stasis sickness.

Alec sat with them diligently, with a seemingly unending list of topics to keep the children distracted for as long as possible. Lexi watched with the mind of a psychologist, and had a sense that here, sitting with his children, he would be easiest to read and understand. She doubted he’d be so… unassuming, unguarded, otherwise.

It wasn’t until Alec was called away, leaving the twins to finish the evaluation, that she got her first true insight into the Ryder Family as a whole.

“Ms. T’Perro?” Sara spoke up when Alec had left the room, “Daddy doesn’t sleep much.”

Lexi stopped typing up her evaluations, focusing her attention on the twins. Both of them had a look on their face that conveyed deep concentration, a thoughtfulness she hadn’t noticed before.

“Is that so?” She asked, a quiet urge for them to continue.

“I think he has bad dreams.” Scott added, holding the crook of Sara’s elbow. She didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

“He yells at nothing. He doesn’t yell at us, it’s something we can’t see.”

“And he keeps a gun in the dresser that we are not allowed to touch.”

“He works too much, it makes his head hurt.”

“And he forgets dinner sometimes.” 

Lexi nodded, leaning forward in her chair, showing them unequivocally that they had her full attention. She was quickly formulating a hypothesis about their Pathfinder.

“Has he… ever pointed that gun at anyone?” Lexi asked them gently.

Both of the children seemed hesitant to answer that. Scott looked directly at Sara, knowing the answer, but refusing to give it a voice. Sara gulped, took a breath, and spoke, “Not… _at_ me.” She said carefully, “He might have at mommy, once. They slept in separate rooms, mommy said it was because daddy was upset and didn’t want to keep her up at night.” Sara took another breath, “He didn’t point it at me, but one time he woke up and shouted. I got worried, so I called for him. He grabbed it really fast and stepped toward me. He looked really sad then, didn’t sleep for a long time after.”

“We can’t speak to him.” Scott clarified, “He has to see us first. If he doesn’t see us first, he gets scared.”

“And what do you think about that?” Lexi prompted.

Sara hummed, thinking about the question. Scott shrugged his shoulders, but neither could hide the fact that such confusion made them anxious. “I think he’s seen bad things.” Scott said after a moment.

“He’s done bad things.” Sara added in without missing a beat.

“But he’s still good!” Scott insisted with haste, “He just… won’t talk about it.”

“It’s scary,” Sara muttered, almost as an afterthought, “that he sees things, but we don’t see them or hear them. He sees ghosts, Ms. T’Perro.”

“Do you believe in ghosts?” Lexi asked patiently. Both of them nodded adamantly. “Thank you for telling me. I don’t know what your father sees, but I can try to find out. Would that make you feel less afraid?” They both nodded again, and Lexi smiled, “Well then, consider it done.”

“Like a mission!” Sara grinned, “It’s a secret mission!”

“Yes, very secret.” Lexi agreed, “Which is why you shouldn’t say these things about your father to others, okay? It’s just for the three of us. Deal?”

“Deal!” They echoed back to her with excited smiles.

“Good. Go on, then. You can go play now.” 

With a cheer, the twins hopped down from the table and ran out of the medbay. Lexi listened after them for a moment, picking up on excited chatter between them and Liam somewhere in the cargo bay. It was at that moment that Lexi realized there was something unique about the Ryder family. Something dug in, something deeper that went beyond any normal relationship between a father and his young children. It was a mystery unlike any Lexi had faced, and she was excited to have the chance to unwrap it’s secrets.

–

Drack had learned long ago to expect the unexpected. To never be surprised by anything. To always be ready at the drop of a hat. So when the Pathfinder had suddenly shown up, killed Kett on Eos and cleared the skies using that strange alien technology? Drack went along with it. He knew a born-soldier when he saw one, and honestly felt that joining the Pathfinder’s team would benefit both the Initiative and his Krogan Clan.

All that experience was thrown out the window when he walked up the Tempest’s ramp for the first time. He took one step through the door before being stopped in his tracks by a tiny human standing directly in his way, with long blonde hair and a scowl set into her features, blocking him off from the rest of the ship.

“Who are you?” She demanded, arms crossed, scowl intensifying comically on her little face.

To say Drack was shocked would be an understatement.

“Me?” He asked incredulously, “Who let a pyjack like you on a starship like this?”

“I’m Sara.” She glared at him, “Not a pyjak. Are you friends with my daddy?”

“Listen kid, I don’t know who your father is, but–” Then he stopped, and finally noticed the resemblance in her features. A face that so closely resembled Pathfinder Alec Ryder. “Oh. I didn’t realize the Pathfinder had a spawn.”

“I’m Sara!” She stamped her foot, “You didn’t tell me your name. This is my ship!” She declared.

Finally, Drack reared back and laughed long and hard. Oh, how she reminded him of Kesh. 

“Fair enough, kid!” He grinned, “I’m Drack. Your father wanted a Krogan on board so we can take down a lot of Kett and keep your colonists safe. Got a problem with that?”

Sara grinned widely at that, dropping her defensive posture instantaneously. “Nope!” She declared happily, “But if you’re mean to my daddy I will punch you.” The threat threw Drack into another wave of loud laughter.

“Sara,” Alec called from the upper catwalk, assuming his ‘stern yet patient’ voice. Drack hadn’t seen him enter, and had no idea how much he’d overheard. “what did I say about threatening violence upon others?”

“I didn’t threaten violence!” She insisted, “I just gave him a warning!”

“That’s the same thing.”

“No it’s not!”

“Sara, no punching.”

Sara made her way to the catwalk, “But what if I need to punch?”

“You won’t need to punch anyone or anything.”

“But what if I need to punch a Kett?”

“You won’t face any Kett.”

“But what if they attack the Tempest when you guys are gone?”

“Then you’ll go hide, you won’t punch.”

“But what if they find me?”

“Sara—”

“I might need to punch a Kett one day!”

Sara glared at him. Alec sighed, defeated in his own argument. “We’ll cross that bridge if we come to it.”

“What does crossing a bridge have to do with anything? By then I’ll have already punched the Kett.”

“Fine. Kett are acceptable to punch—”

“Yay!”

“—in an _emergency_.”

“Aww.”

Alec looked to Drack with an apologetic smile, “You’ll have to forgive her.” He said, picking Sara up and throwing her over his shoulder. She squealed and kicked her legs, but his grip didn’t falter. “She’s pretty… intense.”

“Nothing to forgive, Pathfinder.” Drack chuckled, “Reminds me of my granddaughter. The way I see it, you’ve raised her right.”

Alec laughed at that. It was then that Drack noticed the second tiny human at Alec’s side, a little boy clinging to his hip, silent as a mouse.

“Alright firecracker, you’re off the hook. But no more threats.”

“It wasn’t a threat!” Sara insisted, and their ‘argument’ started up all over again. Drack grinned to himself, watching their interaction with keen interest. This, he thought, was going to be fun.

–

When Peebee walked up the ramp of the Tempest for the first time, she was swiftly stopped by a stern voice, “Be careful!”

Peebee froze, half a step away from stepping on a big puzzle. It spanned a large portion of the floor of the Tempest’s cargo bay. In the center, where many pieces hadn’t yet been placed, there was a little boy looking over the pieces with intense concentration. Nearby a little girl sat on a box, sipping a carton of juice. She swallowed, waving at Peebee.

“Please don’t step on it.” She said, “Scott’s been working on it all day.”

Peebee blinked. Then she blinked again. After a third blink, it finally registered in her mind exactly what she was seeing; two very young human children on a Pathfinder’s advanced research vessel.

“Umm…” She intelligently replied, watching with shock and fascination. 

Out of the room to her right, a Turian Peebee recognized as Vetra walked out, whistling appreciatively at the puzzle. “Looks good, kiddo.”

“Thank you.” The boy muttered absently, not really paying attention.

“We’re stuck on a piece.” From above them, Peebee spied a Salarian leaning against the railing on the upper catwalk, looking at the large puzzle from above. Beside him was another human woman. Both of them studied the puzzle with as much intensity as Scott was, and Peebee couldn’t tell if they were seriously stuck or acting to be on Scott’s behalf.

“Aye, bit of a tough one, isn’t it?” The woman nodded solemnly.

The Salarian tilted his head, “Do the edges match, Scott?”

“No.” The boy replied, picking up the offending piece and turning it every which way.

“Umm.” Peebee said again, her brain stuck on a loop consisting of the question _‘What the fuck is this?’_

Vetra laughed, seeming to understand. “Bit of a shock the first time you meet them.” She conceded, “Those two up top are Suvi and Kallo.” The two gave Peebee a warm smile, “And these two are Scott and Sara.” The two children waved, but didn’t take their attention off of the puzzle. “Alec’s kids.”

“The… the Pathfinder?” Peebee asked incredulously, _"The Pathfinder’s children?"_

“What’s wrong with that?” Sara asked indignantly. Scott was still ignoring them entirely.

“… Nothing.” Peebee conceded, looking back down at the puzzle and the piece that was confusing Scott. She set down her bag and carefully walked around to get a closer look. It did appear to be a genuinely complex floor puzzle, and Peebee was amazed he’d made so much progress already.

Then, she saw the solution.

“It doesn’t fit.” Scott pouted, very confused. Peebee cleared her throat, and for the first time he actually looked at her.

“What if you tried to… put it there?” Peebee pointed at a spot behind him. Scott looked at the spot, then at the piece. After a few back and forths, his eyes grew wide. Peebee saw what he was realizing, as she did; once that tough piece was in place, there were five more pieces within sight that immediately fit together all around it, and five more after that.

Scott grinned and got right to work. Peebee hopped over to the gap to join him. Within the hour they had a completed puzzle, with a very proud Kallo and Suvi cheering them on.

Peebee had no idea what to make of the situation, or how to react to it. So, in true Peebee fashion, she accepted it, and found her place in the escape pod with little thought to the kids presence at all. The Pathfinder could take care of them well enough. She wouldn’t get attached.

Of course she wouldn’t.

(Hah. Yeah, right.)

–

When Jaal Ama Darav was first taking his place on a ship full of strangers, the strangest by far were the two miniature versions of Alec Ryder that were running about the ship.

He first saw them the first day he walked on board the Tempest. The two were huddled together on the catwalk, staring at him with interest and with fear. Jaal stopped and stared back. Alec noticed, and smiled at the two children.

“Hey kids, you wanna come down and meet Jaal?” He asked patiently. The two kids shook their heads and quickly ran into the drive core room, where they could hide under Gil’s workbench. Alec shrugged, “Sorry about that. Those are my children, Scott and Sara. They’ve never seen an Angara before.”

“…Well,” Jaal conceded, “Before today, I had never met a human. I think I understand how they feel.”

“Give it time.” Alec assured him, leading him further into the Tempest, “They’ll warm up to you eventually.”

‘Eventually’ turned out to be weeks. In that time Jaal got to know the crew, but the twins kept a safe distance from him all the time. He couldn’t really blame them, but one evening as he stood with Alec, his curiosity got the better of him.

“Alec, do humans often bring their children to their place of work?” Jaal asked.

“I— What?”

“Is it a bonding exercise? Do humans require the companionship?”

“Uh… Yes? No?” Alec sighed, “It’s complicated.”

“It is dangerous for them. The Kett will not show them mercy. Why are they here?”

Alec watched as the twins excitedly told a story to an enraptured audience of Vetra, Peebee and Suvi, waving their hands and jumping on their toes. “It was an accident. There’s nothing I can do about it except care for them.”

“Can you not leave them with family on your Nexus? Is your Nexus not safer?”

“We have no other family, Jaal.”

“Perhaps their mother—”

“Their mother is dead. It’s just us. I have to care for them, so they’ll remain here.” Jaal watched as Alec’s face hardened further, “And I’ll fight my way through a million Kett before I let them get anywhere near my kids.”

Jaal could tell he’s struck a nerve, if Alec’s stiff jaw and stone-cold eyes were any indication at all. He was quiet for a time, watching the twins and studying their personalities. He could pick out traits easily associated with Alec. He wondered which traits could be compared to their mother.

“I apologize.” He muttered, “It’s a concept I find difficult to imagine. Our families are very large, there is always someone to care for our children. To have no one else… you have my condolences.”

Alec grunted, unsure of how exactly he’s supposed to respond to such sincerity. “Yeah, well… I hope you’re able to put up with them, at the very least. I’m sure it’s a shock to you.”

Jaal laughed lightly, “Fret not, Pathfinder, I grew up with dozens of younger siblings and cousins. They seem to be wonderful children. I believe I’ll enjoy getting to know them— getting to know you all.”

“I hope so, Darav. I hope so.”

It took quite a long time for the twins to interact with Jaal. They continued their normal Tempest routines, but tended to stay at opposite ends of the room from Jaal. They watched him curiously, unsure of whether they should be nervous or not. They didn’t know what to make of him, and he doesn’t know what to make of them.

Finally, after weeks of dodging conversation, Jaal caught them watching him from behind some boxes. They were closer than they’d been before, studying everything he did, trying to work up their courage. As Jaal catches their eye they hide from his view— Jaal smiled to himself and decided to finally bite the bullet.

“Did he see us?”

“Shh!”

Jaal peeked around the box, ensuring he appeared as non-threatening as possible. The twins jumped when they saw him; they didn’t appear particularly scared of him anymore, but they weren't entirely convinced of his presence either. He grinned at them, opting to crouch down to better meet their heights, leaving himself open to them yet also giving them an escape route should they feel it necessary.

“Is this a human game?” He asked. Sara blinked, just once, before standing taller and giggling to herself.

“You weren’t supposed to see us.”

“My apologies. You must teach me the rules one day.”

Sara studied him curiously, her smile growing. Scott began to move closer, but kept himself behind Sara at all times.

“You’re purple!” She laughed again, “I’ve never met anyone who’s purple!”

Jaal chuckles at that, moving to sit himself down. “And I have never met anyone with yellow fur.”

“This is hair.” Sara twirls a few strands, “Fur’s different. I think. Suvi knows.” 

“It appears I have much to learn about humans. Am I right in assuming you have yet to meet another Angara?”

“Daddy doesn’t want us to leave the ship yet. He gets nervous.”

“It is dangerous out there.” Jaal nods, “But perhaps one day we can show you Aya.”

“It looked a lot like Earth from the window.” Scott piped up, seeming to gain confidence from Jaal’s relaxed posture.

“Earth. I like that name. Perhaps you could tell me more?”

So began a conversation that lasted several hours, and never truly ended— Jaal became part of their family, and their time of fear was swiftly forgotten in favor of the love and care Jaal displayed for them from that day onward.


	3. Sara, Scott and SAM

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SAM’s got a protocol to keep an eye on the twins all the time, to make sure they’re safe. That said, they are friends– family– first.

“SAM? What’s a ‘radiation’?”

“‘Radiation’ the emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or as moving subatomic particles, especially high-energy particles which cause ionization.”

Sara hummed, “What’s ioni– that thing you just said?”

“‘Ionization’ is when an atom, molecule, or substance converts into an ion or ions, typically by removing one or more electrons.”

Liam laughed quietly, peering up only briefly from his game with Scott. Sara sat in Vetra’s lap nearby; Vetra worked quietly while Sara fired off question after question at SAM, absently playing with Vetra’s talons.

“Does that include people?”

“It can, in some cases.”

Sara looked up to the ship at large, “Is daddy okay?”

SAM paused for only a moment to check in on Alec, who was currently traversing Eos killing a great number of Kett. “Your father is well. His armored suit protects his body from all forms of radiation.”

“Like a shield!”

“Like a shield.”

Sara grinned, “SAM, tell daddy Sara says not to get ion– ioni–”

“Ionized.” Vetra supplied.

“That! Please.”

“Message sent, Sara.”

Sara nodded firmly, “Thank you! What’s an ‘atom’?”

–

SAM could remember the first time he met the twins Scott and Sara. He remembered it so clearly as his very first experience of learning by observation. Learning on his own, without Alec’s prompting.

The children were five, at the time. Alec had been working on SAM’s router through the morning in his workshed. It was just after noon, the sun was high in the sky, flowers blooming along the edges of the grassy backyard outside. SAM couldn’t see much from this angle, but that was alright. Alec didn’t mind answering his questions, and SAM was equally willing to answer questions in return.

There was a short scream from outside, then laughter. Alec glanced back briefly, peering out the door, before shaking his head with a laugh.

“Alec, is all well?” SAM asked, “A scream may indicate–”

“My children are playing Pirates.” Alec told him, “They’re playing. Having fun, like kids do.”

“… A ‘Pirate’ is a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea.” SAM actually sounded confused, stopping Alec in his work, “Why would they pretend to be a pirate when there is no sea?”

Alec laughed outright, a little incredulously, “They don’t know what real pirates are, SAM. That’s the point. It’s make-believe, so they can imagine going on an adventure. Understand?”

“… No.” SAM admitted.

“That’s alright. You’ll learn.”

There was a shadow in the doorway, “Daddy!” Alec turned, and SAM got a look at Alec’s son, Scott. He was wearing a big paper hat, and carried a stick like a sword. “Caught you!”

Alec smiled, “You caught me, huh?” He moved to the doorway, stopped briefly as Sara ran into the room, nearly knocking his legs out from under him in the process. He made the last few steps to Scott, crossing his arms. “Well then, what are your terms?”

Scott waved the stick around, “No, no! You’re supposed to say ‘parlay’, then Captain Sara will judge you!”

“And if I were to refuse?” Alec played along.

“Then we leave you on a deserted island until mommy comes home!”

“Oh, my. A terrifying prospect. Very well then, parlay. Do you know what parlay means?”

“Nope!”

Then, SAM’s world became very confusing. He was suddenly moving, his router grabbed by little hands and pulled off the table. Sara cackled wildly as Alec realized what she was up to. Then he was jerked around as Sara ran outside into the bright sunlight. SAM caught glimpses of grass, a tree, the side of the house, and the blue sky. Alec chased after them, but Sara held SAM’s router up high and continued to run in circles.

“The treasure is mine!” Sara cried triumphantly. SAM spied Scott chasing Alec as Alec chased Sara, ending in a wild figure eight of father chasing kids to get SAM back. SAM never thought he’d understand the concept of motion sickness, but this was about to be an enlightening experience.

“Sara, _stop_.” Alec’s tone had changed. It was no longer playful, but instead authoritative. And Sara did stop, immediately and without a fuss. SAM regained his bearings, but was only able to see Sara’s chest as she held onto his router. “I need SAM back now.”

“But it’s my treasure!” Sara complained, “I stole it fair and square!”

“Stealing isn’t fair. You don’t steal things from other people, that’s wrong.” Alec countered. SAM could hear him moving closer, “Come on baby-girl, give him back.”

“Him?” She asked.

“That’s right. SAM’s a person just like you, and he’s probably very confused right now. How would you feel if you were picked up and flung around without your permission?”

Sara hesitated a moment. She then held SAM up, and he got a good look at her face, confused and interested.

“But there’s no body.” Sara told him, tilting her head. 

“Does a person need a body to be alive?” Alec asked her. Sara thought on this for a long few moments before handing the router back to Alec’s waiting hands. She pat his router twice with a thoughtful yet concerned expression.

“I guess not. Sorry.” She said, still visibly confused, “Who’s SAM?”

“He’s…” Alec looked down at the monitor and smiled, “He’s my friend.”

Scott appeared next to Sara, both inquisitive. “Hello Sara. Hello Scott.” SAM greeted, much to their delight. In unison both children smiled bright and wide directly at SAM, letting out appreciative ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’. 

And SAM realized that perhaps he had more in common with these children than he had ever known.


	4. Their Father's Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: How would the kids react with finding out Alec died in the Archon's ship? Like they would hear about it from the others accidentally.
> 
> Oh, it was an accident alright...

When the Tempest found Ark Paarchero floating in open space, tethered to the Archon’s flagship, Alec took his two children straight down to his quarters. He blocked out the windows with the push of a button and told them to remain there; he had a feeling this would be far from any ordinary mission. Then he’d left to liberate the Salarian Ark and their Pathfinder, his friend, Zevin Raeka.

What Alec had failed to take into account in his haste to leave was the fact that those kids easily picked up on his anxieties. Moreover, he failed to take into account the capabilities of two concerned and, more terrifyingly, two _bored_ children.

So he had no idea, as he made his way through the Archon’s ship, that his children had cheated their way right through the lock on his bedroom door, and had crept up the ladders to the Bridge, where the rest of his crew watched with worry, waiting for their orders. He had only taken Cora and Drack with him, the rest were in limbo until he gave them instructions.

Oblivious to the children’s presence, the crew listened to his comms and monitored his vitals on the big holo-screen over the front window. When Alec and his team became trapped within the Archon’s lab, Alec’s heart rate spiked dramatically, and the already concerned children could no longer hold back behind the door frame.

“Why’s it look like that?” Sara spoke aloud, rushing into the room. She scared the crew in the process, all of them jumping with startled and terrified faces.

“Scott, Sara!” Vetra scolded desperately, “What are you--”

“It’s not supposed to look like that!” Sara interrupted her, staring wide-eyed at the screen. Scott came up beside her, both sharing the same petrified eyes. And the crew, with no real answer for them, didn’t dare to pull them from the room; not now. 

A moment later, Alec’s heart stopped. The entire crew stood still as statues, silent, watching a scene beyond comprehension. Even Scott and Sara knew what the flat line meant. It wasn’t the first time they had seen it.

Seconds ticked by like hours. Each and every one of the crew began formulating something to say to those children, something that might keep them calm in the firestorm that was about to erupt. A plan to escape without their Pathfinder, lest his children end up in the hands of the Kett as well.

Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds of tragic, incomprehensible silence. Then, Alec’s heart beat once more.

The crew let out a collective sigh of relief, and of exhaustion. Scott shook helplessly, his knees nearly collapsing. It was Vetra who scooped him up into her arms, turning him away from the monitor. He wrapped his arms around her neck and held on tightly, eyes squeezed shut, shaking Vetra’s whole body in his terror, tears streaking down his face in silent waves. 

“He’s fine.” She tried to soothe him, rubbing his back, “He’s fine, Scott. He’s okay. Everything’s okay.”

“Probably just-- just a glitch, right? Banged up his armor.” Liam tried to put in helpfully, but no one could truly believe such a thing.

Sara was not shaking. Her face spoke of anger, a righteous fury that did not belong on the face of a child. It was Jaal who first noticed her turn on her heel, marching her way out to the cargo bay, fists clenched hard enough to turn her knuckles white.

“Hey, hey!” He rushed forward and grabbed her before she could make it through the door, holding her tightly despite her struggles.

“Let go!”

“Sara,” Jaal spoke to her patiently, oh so very gently, “It is too dangerous for you. You must stay here, and not let your fear get the better of you!”

“But he needs help! Let me go!” She insisted, frantic, wild around the eyes.

“If your father truly needed help, he would send for us. You know him better than anyone. You know this.” Sara stared at him, lips drawn tight, “You want to help him? The best way is to stay here, out of his way, so he can save that Ark and its people. You saw the screen-- he is _fine_.”

“He’s _stupid_.” Sara ground out, tears trailing down her cheeks.

“I know.” Jaal soothed her softly. Sara swiped furiously at her eyes.

_“Stupid, stupid, **stupid**!”_

“I know.” He said once more as Sara dissolved into helpless sobs. “I know, Sara. I know.”

Jaal pulled the sobbing girl into his arms, standing from the floor and holding her tightly. And all the crew could do was stare at one another, try to offer each other some measure of silent comfort, hopelessly lost in a hopeless situation.

\--

Alec had managed to save Raeka, Drack’s scouts, and Ark Paarchero in one day. He’d blown holes in the Archon’s flagship, raised havoc in fury over the number of lives lost on board, beat down the Kett’s best in hopes they would need lots of time to recover. He had returned the saved Salarians and Krogan to the Ark for medical treatment, had actually hugged Raeka and scolded her for being such a goddamn idiot, then sent them on their way back to the Nexus, with promises that he’d bring the children by soon.

Alec Ryder had never been more exhausted _in his life_.

And his kids had not appeared to ask him all about his mission.

Alec was starting to grow concerned as the Tempest neared the Nexus, and there was no sign of his children. Moreover, the crew was avoiding his eye, solemn and anxious. Vetra wasn’t even _present_ , wasn’t anywhere he could see. So he went to Lexi for his post-mission evaluation, intending to get it done as quick as possible, intending to go around and figure out exactly what the hell was going--

“Alec,” Lexi interrupted his train of thought, looking him square in the eye, “there’s something you need to know.”

All thought processes died then and there upon the sincerity, the depth of Lexi’s tone.

“I’m listening.” He said, and meant it.

“During your liberation of Ark Paarchero, you locked Scott and Sara in your quarters, did you not?” Alec didn’t know what to think. He wasn’t sure he remembered how to breathe. He simply nodded, and stayed quiet. “Well, during the mission they managed to hack the lock on the door.”

“Hacked it. They _hacked it_.” Alec repeated incredulously.

“Well, I think it was most likely Scott’s doing,” Lexi admitted, “but yes, they figured it out. And they… they saw, Alec. They saw you die, completely flat-line.”

Alec wasn’t sure he’d ever breathe again.

“Ignoring the fact that you and I will need to have some sessions about that, I’m sure you can imagine the kind of trauma your actions have caused. And I know,” Lexi hurried on before Alec could interrupt her, “that it wasn’t intentional, but it happened. We underestimated them, and how far their concerns for you would push them. I’d like to have therapeutic sessions with them every few days for a while.”

“Of course, doctor.” Alec agreed without hesitation, “Whatever they need, anything.”

“Good. You and I will have a chat about it later. For now, Vetra took the kids back to your room and put them to bed. I imagine they’ll need to see you when they wake up.”

“Right.” He muttered, a little shell-shocked, “Right.”

Lexi hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on his shoulder, pulling him out of his spiraling thoughts. “Alec.” He focused on her. She took note of the depth in his eyes. She’d never seen it quite so prominently before. “Two weeks of field leave. We’re spending two weeks on Nexus to recover from this. All of us. Do not make me turn that into an order.”

And Alec did not hesitate, not for a single moment, “Of course we are, Lexi. No complaints.”

“Good.” She nodded, backing up a step, “Go on, then.”

Alec left immediately, marching to his quarters down the hall. When the door opened the lights were off, but there was enough ambiance to see the figure of Vetra within. She sat on the side of his bed, illuminated by a datapad she was reading, watching over the sleeping figures of his children. She stood as he approached, nodding her head once. Alec nodded back, hoping his appreciation showed on his face. Vetra seemed to understand, and took her silent leave, the door shutting quietly behind her.

Alec carefully lowered himself down onto the edge of the bed. Scott and Sara had their own beds, but those beds were too small for both of them. The two were curled up together in the middle of Alec’s bed, blankets tucked up to their chins. Sara’s head was tucked under Scott chin, a position Alec knew was their way of comforting one another.

Alec remembered in vivid detail the last time he’d seen his kids in such a state, eyes red-rimmed, sleeping off their exhaustion born of tears. White walls and hospital beds, Ellen slowly sliding downhill. Alec had stepped away to speak with a doctor when they heard his children cry out. Ellen’s eyes closed, flat-line droning on as Alec pulled his children from the room. A life now lived without a mother.

Alec had no idea how he would explain himself. What could he say? There was likely nothing. Alec Ryder was not in control, and he hated himself for it.

With nothing else he could do, Alec changed for bed, climbed under the covers and wrapped his arms around his children. He drifted off into a thankfully dreamless sleep, with no inclination of how the next morning would treat them.

He could only hope God would be merciful.


	5. Their Father's Keeper, Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec must gain the forgiveness of his children, and Zevin Raeka arrives for a surprise visit.

Alec’s thought’s should have been on the Tempest. They should have been focusing on his crew, working them through the tragedy that was the Paarchero. He should have been with Kallo, making sure he hadn’t lost anyone on the Ark, or with Raeka as she settled in on the Nexus, or with his crew who he was sure had suffered their own traumas. 

His mind was not in these places. His mind was elsewhere, six-hundred years away at the bedside of his dying wife, the love of his life, whispering all those intimate confessions he’d never managed to say. His mind was clinging to the tattered grief of his children, with no plans on how to soothe their fears, for he had no answers to give himself, let alone them. His mind was trying to pull itself together with duct tape, cutting off his panic at the knees because this was too much, even for an N7, even for an old soldier who had seen more than any man should--

“Sara’s mad at you.” Alec was startled out of his thoughts by Scott, who was munching on his krispy snack to Alec’s right. Alec’s lunch sat untouched on the table in front of him.

“Is she?”

“Yeah. She’s sulking.”

Alec took a breath, handing Scott a napkin. “Are you mad at me?”

“Yes.”

Scott wasn’t looking at him, and while his face betrayed few emotions his body language said it all; tense, anxious, upset.

“I’m sorry.”

Scott shifted a little bit, shrugging his shoulders, allowing his snack to buy him time. Alec waited patiently.

“Dying’s dumb. You’re not supposed to be dumb.”

Alec wrapped his arm around Scott’s shoulders and pulled him to his side, rubbing his arm up and down. What to say to a child to calm the fear? What to say to someone who had realized just how easily they could lose both their parents in the blink of an eye?

“It won’t happen again. I promise.”

Scott shut his eyes and smiled to himself, “Okay.”

“Can you forgive me?” Alec asked him. Scott laughed in response, breaking off part of the snack for Alec to eat. He took it with a grateful nod.

“I already did, silly. You said sorry.”

“Oh. Well then.” Alec hugged his son tightly, giving him a soft tickle in the side, making him squirm. “I hope you always have it in you to forgive people so easily.”

“A’course daddy.” Scott’s smile then faded, “But you should go say sorry to Sara, okay? She’s really sad.”

“I will, kiddo. Do you think she’ll forgive me?”

Scott hesitated at that. So did Alec; after all, Sara’s blood ran hot, just like her mother. Forgiveness had never come easily.

“I think so.” Scott said after a moment, “She’s smart.”

“Yeah. You both are. Your mother’s kids, through and through.”

Scott looked up at him with a new bright smile, “Your kids, daddy. You’re smarter than anybody ever was.”

Alec laughed, holding his son close as Scott reached for another snack. “That’s a nice thought, buddy.” Alec helped Scott open the packaging, handing the treat back when his mission had been completed. “By the way, how did you hack the lock on my door?”

Scott froze at the question. He chewed slowly, thinking of what to say, but knew better than to lie to his father. So he swallowed, looked Alec in the eye and said, “I didn’t. I figured out your password.”

“Did you now?”

Scott smiled, “You’re smart, daddy, but you’re also predi-- predis-- you don’t ever change.”

“So I’m predictable?”

“Yeah!” Scott laughed, “‘Ellen’ was mommy’s name. You shouldn’t use a name as a password.”

Alec hummed with surprise, impressed by the thoughtfulness of his son. “You know… if you really wanted to work with tech more, we could get you some classes.”

Scott perked up at this, eyes comically wide, “Really?!”

“If you promise not to mess with my tech anymore. Door locks included.”

“Oh, I promise! Super promise!” Scott bounced in his seat. Alec laughed, taking his treat before he could drop it, breaking it in half for the both of them.

“Alright, I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you!”

Well, Alec thought as Scott rambled on about everything he wanted to learn, that’s one battle won easily-- for once.

\---

It was difficult to catch Sara alone. She seemed to be latched onto members of the crew all throughout the day, acting as if nothing had happened and going on with her daily routine. The only noticeable difference was that she was avoiding Alec, and he knew why.

Sara clearly needed the comfort, and the crew was happy to provide it for her. Lexi saw both the kids daily, and Doctor Carlyle even came for a special visit. But Sara continued to dart from one person to the next, all in an effort to avoid her father. And he let her, for a time, until the topic could not be left alone any longer.

So, one evening before bed, Alec left Scott in Vetra’s care and went to seek out Sara.

For once, she was alone. Alec found her in their room, sitting on her bed pulling on her pajamas. She was having trouble, had gotten her arms stuck in her pajama shirt, and the shirt itself was backwards. Alec quietly approached, coughed to let her know he was there, then proceeded to help her get her arms through the holes and pull the shirt on the right way around. Sara mumbled a thank you, then sat there silently, not looking at Alec.

It was all wrong. Sara had never been described as ‘quiet’ a day in her life.

Alec knelt down in front of his daughter. She averted her eyes so he couldn’t meet them, but she didn’t move away either. She was despondent, sullen, and Alec’s heart was breaking with every second that passed.

“Talk to me, Sara.” He coaxed gently, hopefully. Sara merely shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. “Okay then, can I talk?” A pause. Then, Sara nodded. “Okay.”

Alec settled himself down on his knees, watching as Sara tried to keep herself calm.

“Are you okay, physically?” A nod. 

“Has seeing Lexi helped?” Another nod. 

Then, Alec bit the bullet, “Are you sad?” Sara thought about that a moment before shaking her head no. 

“Are you angry?” Sara immediately nodded yes. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I scared you so badly.”

Sara didn’t move. Alec hummed thoughtfully, “Is there anything you want to tell me?” She nodded, though more hesitantly. “Are you… scared to tell me?” And again, after a brief pause, she nodded. 

“Ooh, baby-girl. I get it.” He carefully raised his hand and placed his fingers against her cheek, gently pushing her to look at him. She did, unshed tears nearing the surface. “It’s okay. You can be angry, that’s okay. I just don’t want you to be afraid of talking to me, not about anything. You’re my one and only daughter, Sara. There’s nothing you can say that will make me leave.”

And the tears fell. They fell in waves as Sara bit down hard on her lip, nearly drawing blood. Alec gently shushed her, brushing away the stray tear here and there. Her hands shook as she took a stabilizing breath.

“Are you mad at us?” She asked him, whisper-quiet.

“Over what?” Alec reached over and grabbed some tissues, holding the box for her. She took one and blew her nose.

“For leaving the room and… seeing.”

Alec looked her in the eye and smiled, oh so gently, knowing he was confronting someone akin to a terrified rabbit; one sudden move, and she would flee.

“I’m not mad.” He promised her, “I’m sad, a little bit, but not mad.” Sara nodded, taking another breath, blowing her nose again. “C’mon now, what did you want to say, huh? You’ll feel better.”

Sara took one more breath, clutched at her shirt, and broke the dam. “I miss you.” She said, the tears coming faster now, “I miss you. I don’t like it when you leave. I don’t like the big black cloud that Kallo’s so scared of, I don’t like the Kett that Drack and Jaal say are so dangerous. I don’t like the big guns, or your stupid armor. It’s stupid. You shouldn’t need it.” She paused only a moment, heaving for breath, “I don’t like it, and I’m scared, daddy!” Her voice broke at the last word as she leaned forward. Alec scooped her up into his arms, quickly standing and then sitting down on her bed, holding her tightly against his chest, “I’m scared!”

Sara wailed as Alec shushed her soothingly, rocking her back and forth and rubbing her back. “Oh, I know. I know.” Little arms wrapped around his neck, squeezing tightly, “It’s okay. It’s okay to cry. I’m not mad at you, it’s okay.”

“M’sorry!” 

“Shh, shh. No apologies, okay? You’re okay.”

So Sara cried, and Alec held her well through the night. And when the night passed, so too did so much of the tension that had plagued the Tempest since Ark Paarchero; slowly, they were healing.

\---

Zevin Raeka had been a staple in the lives of Scott and Sara for many years-- enough so that they couldn’t remember a time when the Salarian was not walking beside them.

It had started when the twins were four, a few years before the launch for Andromeda. Ellen had been getting sicker, so Alec was taking care of the children more often. For weeks they would be on the Citadel while Ellen was on Earth, and Alec would let his kids run around his office while he worked for the Initiative as their brand new Pathfinder. As Ellen’s health declined, the kids saw less of her, and Alec was having more trouble caring for them while still doing his part for the Initiative.

Enter the newly appointed Pathfinder Zevin Raeka. She and Alec had hit it off right away, became fast friends in a fast world, relying on one another for support through the stress and difficulties that came with jumping galaxies. It was only natural that Raeka would meet the twins, who were endlessly fascinated by her and her duties. And though Alec hadn’t expected it, Raeka had melted for his children. She adored them, and they loved her in equal measure. Soon Raeka was babysitting for Alec, letting the kids help her work or taking them on trips around the Citadel, trading off work shifts with Alec to ensure they were well cared for. Raeka became their aunt in everything but legal documentation, and Alec had never felt so grateful to anyone in his life.

Especially after Ellen died, when the kids needed all the comfort they could provide, it was Raeka who stepped up and helped them through it.

And now Raeka had returned. She walked up the ramp of the Tempest with calm ease, looking around as she was unable to do on her first visit, appreciating the ship’s design. Cora noticed her, and approached with a salute.

“Pathfinder. Can I help you?”

“I’m just looking for my niece and nephew,” Raeka smiled, “Is Alec here?”

Cora seemed a little confused, but didn’t press, “Yeah, he should be up on the bridge--”

A gasp from the doors opposite them halted the conversation. Raeka burst into the biggest grin of her life, for there they stood, Scott and Sara, staring at her with wide eyes.

“Hey kids.” She greeted calmly, happily. They broke out into ear-splitting grins, matching her own.

“AUNTIE!!!” They squealed, racing over to Raeka. She immediately crouched down and threw her arms open, bracing herself as they slammed into her so she wouldn’t topple over. They wrapped their arms around her shoulders and clung on tight, burrowing their faces into her neck.

“We missed you!” Sara exclaimed, “You were gone so long!”

“I know, I know.” Raeka held them tightly, “I’m so sorry.”

“We saw your Ark.” Scott pulled back a little to look at her face clearly, “It looked bad. Are you okay?”

Raeka reached up to smooth out his hair, “I’m just fine, no harm done.” an easy lie to tell them, but one that must be said. Scott didn’t quite seem to believe her, but pushed back into his hug instead of questioning her.

Cora had watched in amazement for a moment before deciding to give them the moment to themselves. After all, it wasn’t her place to understand the depth of the Ryder family. So she left, quickly made her way to the bridge, and informed Alec of who was in their cargo hold. 

Cora had never seen Alec smile so brightly as he left to greet his dear friend.

When he arrived, Sara and Scott were talking adamantly about their time in Andromeda, and Raeka was thoroughly engrossed in their tales. Alec listened for a moment, finally feeling a wave of calm he’d not felt before-- it almost hurt to break up the moment, but he knew he needed to before they got much further. A quick clearing of his throat was all it took, and the smile he received from Raeka was definitely worth it.

“I hear you took down a giant robot that spun a lot.” Raeka teased, “Should I be concerned?”

“Absolutely not.” Alec replied, with just as much a teasing tone as she, “To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?”

Raeka laughed heartily, “You said you’d bring the kids by. When you didn’t show, I decided to make it happen myself.” She grabbed the kids as they were turned around, making them laugh, tickling their sides lightly, “You busy today?”

“Unfortunately so, big Apex raid.” He shrugged lightly, “But you’re welcome to have the little monsters for the day, if you’d like.”

“I would like.” Raeka turned the kids to face her, “How about I get you two some lunch? You can tell me all about the things you’ve seen in Andromeda.”

“Yes please!” They chorused, extremely excited at the prospect of spending time with one of their favorite people in the universe. So with a wave to Alec, the three left the Tempest hand-in-hand.

Alec breathed out a long sigh, letting his shoulders fall, his body relax, if only for the moment. For that one moment, he could just _be_ ; and for the first time, it finally felt like things were truly going to work out in the galaxy they now called home.


	6. Aya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec finally agrees to show Scott and Sara the planet Aya.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based off of an ask I got on Tumblr, sent by yayen-chan:
> 
> "Your stories are very warm and fluffy and they make me so happy, I cry! If I may, I would like to ask if Alec would allow the twins to come out of the ship in Aya? How will the angara react? Will there be Angara kids playing with them? And dare I say it, will they meet Evfra? If they do, how would Evfra react to them?"

It took a long time to convince Alec that Aya was safe for Scott and Sara. The twins asked Jaal about the planet constantly, and begged their father to let them explore. Jaal assured Alec over and over that they would be safe, he promised to stay with Alec and the twins during the entirety of their visit. Finally, and with great reluctance, Alec pointed the Tempest to Aya, surprising his children with their long-anticipated visit.

It was a warm day when Alec and Jaal led the twins from the Tempest into the city. Relations between the Initiative and Angara had improved greatly since their first visit-- the only reason Alec agreed to this at all was because now when he walked through the city most Angara gave him warm greetings and smiles. There were a few that still sent glares in his direction, but he was no longer concerned about any Angara acting out against him or his family.

Sara and Scott had promised to never leave Alec or Jaal’s line of sight, but that didn’t mean they weren’t curious. They seemed to feel totally safe as they ran ahead of their chaperones, making a beeline for a vista overlooking the largest waterfall, the river it supplied and the volcanic terrain beyond. Several fire tornadoes were ripping across the landscape in the distance, with several active lava flows feeding their hunger.

“Wow!” They both exclaimed at once. The twins latched onto Jaal, who picked up one in each arm to give them a greater view. “But Jaal,” Scott tilted his head in concern, “Doesn’t the spinning fire come here?”

“Not at all.” Jall explained, “It is much too cool here for those flames to stay aloft. They spin in the air like that because the rock and lava below is so hot. When they come close to the city they lose their fuel, and they fade away.”

“Are there other places like this on Aya?” Sara asked right away.

“A few, but not many. The Remnant here are slowly healing the planet, like Eos and Havarl. It will take time but one day, much of Aya will look like this.”

The twins rattled off question after question, looking happier than they had in a long time. Alec watched and felt some kind of thought forming in his mind, but it didn’t have substance yet, hadn’t taken root. He wasn’t sure what he was thinking, only that it made him a bit… sad. Neither the twins nor Jaal noticed, too engrossed in their own conversation, and Alec quickly shook off the feeling. It was long gone by the time Scott reached over for him, taking his son from Jaal and into his own arms. Sara soon wriggled back down, and the four continued their exploration of Aya.

Several Angara said their greetings to Jaal and Alec. They watched his kids with curiosity, and a few said some kind words, but otherwise they were left alone. They walked all through the city until they reached the museum, which surprisingly interested the two. They walked in to look at the Angaran artifacts curiously, though they couldn’t read the plaques. Moshae Sjefa was in her office that day, and she came out to say hello. She took a few minutes to show the kids some of her own exhibits, and Alec took the chance to chat about the Vault with her before they moved on. Then they walked through the market, where Scott and Sara got into several excited conversations with some of the local sellers.

“I expected a little more… reservation.” Alec admitted to Jaal as they walked, “So many people are comfortable talking to them.”

Jaal grinned, “You do remember that our families are large?” He motioned to the twins, “That means many children. We are used to watching over our children, if one is not interested they are at least polite. We must always set positive and helpful examples.” Jaal was keeping a close eye on them, but he seemed just as relaxed now as he had been at the start of the day, “I don’t think anyone in this city would hurt your children, even if they are distrustful. You are right to be careful outside of this place, but within the city limits many of us would step in to defend them should the need arise. You’ve nothing to fear here.”

Alec said nothing as his attention was pulled back to his kids. A group of angaran children had appeared from somewhere, and the two groups were staring at one another, human and angara, unsure of what to do next.

A child at the front of the group stepped forward. Sara stepped closer to meet them. The angara, a young boy, looked her over skeptically before unceremoniously poking Sara in her chest. Sara looked startled for a minute, patting the spot that had been poked, before she poked the boy in turn. The boy looked at his chest, back to her, and then the two burst into laughter. 

The children all introduced themselves with wide smiles, then the angaran kids pulled Scott and Sara into a game somewhat like kickball. Two full hours were spent playing together as Alec and Jaal sat nearby. As they sat there Jaal motioned discreetly to something nearby, and then Alec noticed them; many angara were watching the children play. Most had smiles on their faces, soft and clear, full of nothing but pure joy. More children came to play at the okay of their parents, and even some of the adults stepped forward to show the children various other games they could enjoy.

That was when Alec realized one crucial fact-- this was the first time angaran children were playing with children from another race, another galaxy. It was the first time the angaran people got to watch such honest and relaxed interaction between two very different species. And it occurred to Alec as they played that the children had no fear of Scott and Sara, and the twins had no fear of the angara. They knew little about the war outside of Aya, about the Kett or the horrors that lay beyond Aya’s space. They looked upon one another and only saw new friends, people to play with, to enjoy their day with. And if their children could get along so easily, so happily… well, why not their guardians? It was the kind of moment that should be recorded in history books, yet was so often overlooked when future historians tried to decipher all that had happened. So Alec recorded it on his Tool, just for a few minutes-- a piece of history, even if it was just for himself. Maybe he could give it to the cultural center later. Maybe, someday, someone would look back on this moment and see the start of something beautiful. Something peaceful.

Jaal didn’t comment on Alec’s smile, something softer than he’d ever seen. Alec, in turn, missed the knowing look on his friend’s face. Probably for the best.

The kids begged Alec to link them together via messaging, so the twins could send letters to their new friends on Aya. Some of the parents were okay with the plan, so Alec made a chatroom for the children to talk to one another. When they had exhausted themselves the children dispersed with their parents, and the twins found their way back to Alec and Jaal. Alec knew they would need a nap soon, so they made their way to their final stop for the day before returning to the Tempest. Jaal needed to stop at Resistance HQ to file some reports and the twins wanted to see where Jaal worked when he wasn’t on the Tempest, so off they went. Most of the soldiers inside paid them little mind as Jaal compiled his reports for Evfra.

Alec read over Jaal’s shoulder, asking for a couple details to be explained here and there. For just a moment he wasn’t watching his children, and of course that was the moment they chose to slip away. But he didn’t have time to panic-- his children were on the other side of the room, talking to the last person Alec would have expected. Evfra himself.

Evfra was staring at them, set in his usual scowl, confused by their presence. It only took a moment for him to realize who they were when they pointed at Alec. Evfra nodded, and then he did something that shocked Alec into frozen silence.

He smiled.

Evfra-- leader of the Resistance, with a stick so far up his ass it rivaled Alec's-- _smiled_. He crouched down to speak with the twins, a softness etched into his features that Alec never would have expected. The twins seemed to ask him some questions, and he would point at various pieces of equipment to explain something to them, lighting up their faces with pure joy. He was soft with them, gentle, even showed them some of the maps he’d been looking at. 

Jaal smiled too, and quietly moved to Alec's side, "You judge my people based on your own," Jaal told him plainly, "but we have many qualities that would surprise you."

Alec looked at him, “But… _Evfra?_ ” He whispered, completely stunned. Jaal just chuckled.

“Evfra is the eldest sibling in his family.” He explained, “He has many young siblings and cousins, nieces and nephews. The Kett did not take everything from us.”

“...No.” Alec muttered as the twins bid Evfra goodbye, “I suppose not.”

Alec realized what that nagging thought had been, just then. As he took the twins back to the Tempest and put them down for a much needed nap, he could feel it with startling clarity. He’d felt isolation, but not his own. He realized how isolated his children felt. Even though they had the Tempest and a group who loved them, they didn’t have those their own age to play with. They didn’t get to leave the Tempest much, Alec had been too fearful of the Kett. They hadn’t complained, but he finally understood why they begged so much to see Aya-- they wanted to experience their new home too. They wanted to breathe in the fresh air, and say hello to Heleus personally.

Perhaps he could take them out a little more. Eos was safe enough these days, and they could go with him to research stations on Havarl. They could visit Vorn on New Tuchanka, maybe meet some of the krogan kids if Morda permitted it, with Drack’s supervision. Perhaps he could even take them to a Remnant site, show them what he did out there. It was time to stop feeling such fear. He trusted himself, and he could trust his crew. They would be safe.

They would always be safe.


	7. I don't want to hurt you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a visit to New Tuchanka, Sara has an enlightening conversation and a scary run in with the Kett.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was partially based off of a tumblr ask by lady-halibuts-chambers:
> 
> "For a prompt, how about the kids at the botany lab with Vorn (either on Elaaden or when he visits the nexus). Bonus points for including Kesh!"
> 
> I couldn't fit in Kesh but I hope you like this! I've always been interested by the idea of one of the Ryder twins having extremely strong biotics, so here's a little study. Enjoy!

The twins had inherited certain things from their parents, as all children did. Alec could see pieces of them within his children, sometimes more clearly than others. Sometimes not always pleasantly.

Scott had inherited his mother’s brilliance. He was intuitive and intelligent, quick with his hands and quicker with his mind. Alec saw so much of Ellen in their son, knew he would be a shining star on the Initiative’s technical or scientific front one day. He was already showing a deep interest in mechanical works, building things and hacking doors, putting bits of scrap together just to see if he could make it into something useful. Alec had started giving him official lessons, and Gil had taken him on as an unofficial protege.

And Sara? Sara had biotics. The family had discovered this fact when Sara was two, when she toppled over her crib and dresser during a temper-tantrum.

Alec knew that Sara’s biotics were strong. Honestly, biotics that were too strong. Ellen had theorized that her work with biotic implants and element zero was to blame; she didn’t know the eezo would make her sick at the time, so she’d worked throughout her entire pregnancy on biotic amp interfaces. She theorized that Sara, even in the womb, had absorbed the energy which later produced her biotic abilities. Scott had some biotic potential, but it seemed that Sara had inherited the bulk of the biotic talent. She had her fiery personality to match, bull-headed and fearless, more than willing to conquer all odds to get what she wanted. They were traits that reminded Alec too much of himself, and that concerned him. But it also gave him a unique perspective, one that came in especially handy when he met Cora, a powerful biotic in her own right who needed someone at her side who understood what she was going through. He didn’t have grand biotic abilities himself, but he had helped Sara through many biotic-related injuries and accidents, things she hadn’t been able to control, so he felt he could at least give Cora a pep-talk.

Since coming to Andromeda, however, Sara had been unusually careful with her biotics. In fact, Alec had noticed the trend since Ellen had died, her slowly fading interest in her own power. Sure accidents sometimes happened, but Sara was keeping them under wraps, and Alec couldn’t for the life of him understand why. But, when encouraged, Sara could be coaxed into utilizing her biotics. It was the sight he left Drack and Vorn with on that fateful day on New Tuchanka that would change his daughter forever.

It was a very hot day, and Scott hadn’t been feeling well. The twins had wanted to visit Vorn on New Tuckanka, who was always more than happy to show them the plants he was growing in the nursery, letting them help out and get their hands dirty. But Scott had quickly started to complain about the heat, and soon he was running a fever. Sara wanted to stay and play, feeling just as energized as ever, so Alec had scooped Scott up and left Sara in the care of Drack and Vorn, who promised not to let her out of their sight. As he left for their outpost above he noticed Vorn talking to Sara, and Sara began to show him something with her biotics. That was the last Alec saw of the interaction.

Drack watched the two with a fondness he would later deny. Vorn had been trying to fix a broken pot, but the pieces weren’t holding together well. Sara had offered to help, and soon she was holding the pieces together firmly with her biotics while Vorn glued the pieces back together. 

“Hey, you’re pretty good kiddo.” He complimented Sara as they worked, “Don’t see you using your biotics too much.”

Sara looked at him and frowned a little, which surprised Drack immensely. Usually she enjoyed showing off, but apparently it was not so this time around. Focusing on him did not break her biotic concentration in any way, which was even more surprising.

“They make me sad.” She told him in reply. Vorn paused only briefly in his work before continuing on, shifting so he could see both the pot and Sara.

“Why’s that?” Vorn asked her kindly, focused intently on the task at hand, giving her a small out in case she didn’t want to talk about it.

Sara shrugged, “They hurt mommy.” She explained, “Daddy said it’s called “eezo”. It made her sick and she hurt a lot, and then she died.” Vorn stopped then, both Krogan staring at her in surprise, “I don’t want to make anyone sick.” 

“Oh, well that makes sense.” Vorn nodded, “I see why you’re confused.” He was finished with the glue, so he carefully took the pot back and set it aside. Sara immediately shoved her biotics away. “Biotics happen when there’s a lot of element zero around you,” Vorn explained to her in a sure and careful tone, “but biotics don’t make element zero. Element zero, or eezo as you know it, is what makes people sick when it’s not handled correctly. Your biotic abilities don’t make that kind of harmful eezo, so you can’t make anyone sick.”

That came as surprising news to Sara, “I can’t? Daddy’s sad whenever I use them.”

With a grunt, Drack sat down with them. He wasn’t the gentlest of people, but he had his days with Kesh to fall back on, days spent comforting a child when they had scary questions about the world. “I think your dad is just sad about your mother, kid.” He told her, “It’s got nothin’ to do with you.”

“Oh.” She looked down at her hands in concern, “So I can’t hurt anyone?”

“Shoot, you can hurt someone if you handle a piece of paper wrong.” Drack responded confidently, “But if you use it right you won’t hurt anyone unless they deserve to get hurt. Just look at Cora, she only hurts the bad guys, right?”

“I guess so.” Sara muttered, still staring at her hands.

“So maybe talk to your dad, then ask Cora to give you a few lessons. Then you wont hurt anyone.”

Sara looked at Drack and smiled, finally, “Except bad guys.”

He laughed heartily and ruffled her hair, “Except bad guys.”

Sara soon returned to her happy self while helping Vorn plant some new seeds, watched by Drack’s careful eye. It was something he thought about talking to Alec about-- maybe not just giving Sara biotics training, but a little bit of general self defense training. Enough so she didn’t feel like she would accidentally hurt someone. The usual Sara Ryder bluster made much more sense under this new revelation, despite all of Sara’s big talk she was always extremely careful with her hands and her body, like the people around her would break in half if she was too rough. Big talk so she didn’t have to act out. He wondered just how powerful her biotics were, if that was the way she viewed the people around her at eight years old. It must have been a lot for her to think about. He wonders how none of them had caught it sooner.

It was a warm day, so peaceful that no one saw them coming. 

They first felt rumbles. Not entirely uncommon-- new sinkholes opened up all the time, not to mention the Remnant Abyssal that sometimes burrowed close to the colony. But the rumbling kept happening. Small rocks fell from the cave ceiling around them, stopping Vorn, Drack and Sara from their tasks. With the rumbles came the echoes of something a lot like canon shells.

Sara immediately clung to Drack, feeling uneasy. He hoisted her up onto his arm and walked out to the edge of the sinkhole, both of them peering up and then down, looking for any clues. Sara held tightly to Drack’s armor as she leaned over the edge farther than Drack could look. Then she looked back up, and she gasped.

“Up!” She pointed, and then Drack spotted it: incoming fire from canon affixed to several ships far off in the distance. Drack charged back inside, vaulting himself over the counter of Vorn’s lab and ducking down behind it, shielding both Vorn and Sara with his body as the shells hit New Tuchanka with devastating force.

The shaking was intense as alarms began to blare. Most of the surrounding Krogan rushed off to fight, but many stayed behind to protect their scientific facilities and the botany lab. Seconds later one of the ships rushed into the sinkhole, dropping off a legion of Kett right outside of the botany lab.

“Vorn, you keep Sara right here!” Drack roared over the gunfire as he jumped back over the counter, “These Kett are idiots, thinking they can just land on New Tuchanka whenever they want! We’ll show ‘em!”

The battle was fierce. The Kett had sent a huge battalion to try and take New Tuchanka and the Initiative outpost above. They spared no expense as ground troops assaulted the buildings while a barrage of Kett canon fire hammered their defenses. Their anti-aircraft guns were slowly picking off the Kett ships, but it was not fast enough.

Sara watched over the counter, terrified out of her wits. She had never seen a Kett in person, and had never been this close to a battle before. The fighting was deafening, but the Krogan weren’t backing down. Slowly the Kett were dying. Some bullets did fly too close for comfort, however, so Vorn grabbed Sara and hauled her to the back of the lab, hunkering down behind thick layers of rock which protected them from the battle.

Drack never left the front of the lab, he stayed at that entrance and beat back any Kett that got close. Only one Kett did manage to get by him, a cloaked Kett that he hadn’t seen in time. Sara and Vorn saw it jump over the counter, gun raised in their direction. Sara screamed, prompting Drack to whirl around-- he killed the Kett in one shot, its body flying to the back wall and smashing a few pots as it fell lifeless to the ground.

Then several things happened at once. A Kett ship, just before being hit by the Initiative’s anti-aircraft guns, fired several rounds at the lower section of New Tuchanka. The Kett ship then slammed into the side of the sinkhole, causing an additional quake in the rocks. The ceiling above the lab was hit first by two shells before massive rocks were shaken loose by the impact of the ship, causing the ceiling at the far end of the botany lab to cave in. Directly above Sara and Vorn.

Drack didn’t see it, but he heard it. He whipped around just in time to see the rocks falling in. It had been a long time since he’d felt true, unbridadle terror deep in his bones, but it settled instantly when he realized what had happened. He moved out of the battle and jumped back into the lab to look over the damage, seeing several large boulders collapsed inward that--

That hadn’t hit the ground.

The boulders were encased by blue light. Then before Drack’s eyes they began to rise again, and there they were-- Vorn and Sara beneath the rockfall, with Sara’s arms encased in the blue glow of her biotics. Sara had caught the falling rocks just barely before being crushed, standing with her arms stretched upward, shaking with the effort of keeping the rocks aloft.

“Kid!” Drack called to her, and she looked at him through the rubble in a panic. 

“Drack!” She screamed, “WhatdoIdowhatdoIdo-!”

“Calm down, you’re gonna be fine.” He told her, throwing aside his weapon and carefully coming closer to the suspended boulders. “You first Vorn, get out here.” Vorn started dragging himself out as Drack talked to Sara, “You’re doing great kid.” he reassured her, “Keep your eyes on me, don’t you look anywhere else okay?” Sara dragged her eyes up from the ground to look at him as requested, “Eyes on me, there we go. Now bend your elbows, like this.” Drack held up his arms to show her in two perfect L-shapes. Sara obeyed, bending her arms enough to lock them into place. Her shaking lessened slightly. “Better?”

“Better.” She stuttered out, voice trembling with effort and fear. It only took Vorn a few more seconds to drag himself clear.

“Okay Sara, do exactly as I say.” Drack waited until she nodded her acknowledgement. Outside the battle was ending, but Drack couldn’t care less at the moment. “Turn around very slowly.” Sara breathed and turned around, groaning out but still standing, “Good. Now step backward.” Sara stepped, “Step again.” She stepped again, and again, each time he told her to. She extended her arms as she went, focused on the center of the collapse. Eventually she had made it to the edge of the rock fall, the rocks themselves trembling as her biotics were close to giving out.

Drack acted at that moment, grabbing her and using his jump jet to launch away from the rock fall. The suddenness of it broke Sara’s concentration, and the rocks hit the ground below as Drack collided with the far wall of the lab next to Vorn, Sara protected on his chest. Some rocks tumbled dangerously close to them, but in the end they were just far enough away from the collapse. All three of them had survived.

Sara and Vorn were covered head to toe in dust and sand. Drack was quick to set her down and sit himself up, looking her over for injuries. A few cuts aside, both Sara and Vorn were unharmed. Sara was taking in heaving stuttering breaths, staring wide-eyed at the collapsed half of the lab. 

“Vauld’s almighty quads!” Drack breathed, “Kid, if you can do that at eight, you’re gonna do fine.”

Sara looked at him like she was about to cry, “Was that wrong?”

“Wrong?” Vorn laughed, “That was amazing!”

“You saved yourself and you saved Vorn,” Drack hugged her tightly, “you did perfect kiddo, don’t you worry.” Sara clung to his armor, and he sat there holding her and letting her calm down from an undeniably terrifying experience.

The Kett were retreating. It had been a short and bloody battle, but New Tuchanka had held out against the unanticipated assault. Drack needed a minute to process what he had seen, but it answered his questions with undisputed clarity. No wonder she was afraid of hurting people. No wonder Alec had never pushed her. He didn’t say anything on the matter, simply rubbed her back and let her calm down, but he couldn’t help but wonder what she could do with the proper training.

After all, Alec had his own hidden talents. It seemed to Drack that both of his kids had inherited something remarkable.

Speaking of, a call from Alec began to come through Drack’s omni-tool. He answered it promptly, “Pathfinder, everything alright up there?”

“Kett are clear.” Alec reported, “A few casualties and some damage but nothing major. You guys okay down there? We heard a few collapses.”

“Yeah, we’re fine.” He replied. He started to speak but Sara looked at him with pleading eyes, almost as if she didn’t want him to tell her father what had happened… well, who was he to deny her that wish? Sara would tell him when she was ready. “Some rocks caved in, we’ve got a few scrapes but we’re alright.” Sara breathed out a sigh of relief and settled back against Drack, totally drained.

“Are you okay daddy?” She asked over the comms.

“Just fine baby-girl. You guys should come on up, we need to track where those Kett came from.”

“We’ll be right there.”

Sara wasn’t up to letting go of her guardian yet, so Drack carried her out of the sinkhole and into the Initiative outpost. The Tempest thankfully hadn’t taken any damage beyond some scrapes in the paint. Small mercies in a harsh world. Drack set Sara down as soon as they were on the platform, greeted by Vetra who looked her over in alarm. “What happened to you?” She asked.

“Rocks fell.” Sara told her with a tired smile. Vetra didn’t seem to catch the meaning, and was soon engrossed in a conversation with Drack. Looking around Sara spotted her father and Cora talking off to one side of the platform, and knew this was her chance. She walked up to Cora and Alec, neither of them noticing her until she grabbed Cora’s hand with both of hers. “Cora?” She asked in a voice much too small for her, tugging on her arm for good measure.

Both of them did a double take upon seeing Sara so covered in dirt and sand they couldn’t see her skin, “What in the world happened to you?” Alec gaped, kneeling down to examine her, “Did the Kett get close?”

“Drack protected me.” She told them, “Rocks fell.”

“Yes, we heard it.” Cora squeezed her hand, “Did you need me?”

Sara tried to speak, but the words escaped her. Being nervous was almost foriegn to Sara, confidence was her trademark, so to feel so confused and rattled… it was new. But Cora and Alec waited to see what she was going to say, and that was its own kind of courage. She looked around and spotted an empty crate on the docking platform, reinforced with steel and only slightly damaged by the attack, tipped over and emptied of its contents. It was heavy duty, made for harsh worlds. Sara couldn’t find the words, so she instead stuck her hands out towards the crate, encased her hands with biotics and concentrated on the crate.

After a few moments, she crushed the crate entirely.

Cora had a near violent flashback of herself at aged nine, sitting on her parent’s cargo freighter as she accidentally crushed storage crates and cracked the windows during particularly bad fights. “O-oh.” She breathed, wide-eyed and stunned.

“What happened?” Alec asked in concern-- it had been a long time since he’d seen Sara use her biotics. This was new, and startling.

“I want to learn.” She told Cora, “I don’t want to hurt anyone. Please?” She looked at her dad, “Please, daddy?”

Alec looked at Cora, Cora looked at Alec. A silent conversation happened in the span of five seconds, consisting of “Are you okay with this?” and “I can, but are you sure?” and “There aren’t many I’d trust to teach her.” and “I’d be honored.”

Cora then smiled for Sara, “We need to go find these Kett, but how about next time we’re on Eos you and I can go out and I can teach you a few things, sound good?”

Sara grinned in response, “Yes please! Thank you!” She hugged Cora’s legs excitedly-- Cora still wasn’t all that used to the twins’ affections, but they were growing on her. Perhaps now she could find some common ground with Sara, at least. “I want a shower.” Sara muttered after a moment, releasing Cora and clutching at her father, “But I’m kinda sore.”

Alec had an inkling of what might have happened, but he didn’t comment. Instead he took Sara’s hand and led her back to the Tempest, “I’ll let you have all the hot water you want today, how does that sound?”

“Thank you!”

It was a day that changed her in ways no one could foresee. But change, like so many things, was not good or bad, it was simply change. And that was worth shooting for.


End file.
